Khartoum: At least 21 people drowned when a boat sank in the Nile River in northern Sudan, according to the local state government and eyewitnesses interviewed by AFP.
River Nile State said Thursday that 21 bodies had been recovered after the accident, listed their names and warned that some passengers were still missing.
The boat was crossing the river between the villages of Tayba al-Khawad and Deim al-Qarai, according to the local government's statement.
The statement did not explain the cause of the accident.
Eyewitnesses told AFP the boat was carrying 30 people.
The sudanese Doctors Network said in a statement that six of the boat's passengers survived.
The group said the incident exposes "the fragility of river transport and the absence of basic safety requirements, as well as the complete absence of local authorities and civil defence rescue teams in the early hours of the incident".
Many sudanese rely on river transport via single-engine boats captained by solo operators.
